Fear of Clipless Pedals

[lisathew8lifter]

lisathew8lifter - Just as an encouragement, I know several life-long avid mountain bikers who say the clipless pedals enhances their skills and helps them to be better mountain bikers.

hi Catrin,
my hubby wears them and swears by them. i have a tendancy to get hung up on rock gardens, tree roots, etc and just have this fear of my feet not coming out! if this works out with the road bike, i may try it. i have enough scars from the pedals on my legs, shins, etc to last me!

[lisathew8lifter]

Don't be terrified! I freaked myself out and delayed getting them for years, but it took only a few minutes to become comfortable. If you can get your LBS to put them on your bike and make the tension as light as possible at first, adjust your cleats, and let you practice on your bike on their trainer for a while, that will really help. But before you try on the grass, make sure you shift down first!

thanks Tiva! i don't have a trainer at home, but i'm planning to stay around the culdesac or even just a LOW traveled area at first. we have some huge hills and i have said i'm not going up those until i am familar with shifting and the pedals.

i need to get shoes since the LBS didn't have any my size, so that is next on the agenda and all recommendations on those are welcome and appreciated!

[tctrek]

I'm completely sympathetic and have only just this weekend solved the clipless problem.
I started a month ago with Shimano ultegra pedals. Could not for the life of me clip out easily. They were adjusted for the lightest tension--still I had to yank that set my bike to shimmying. Ridiculous.
Finally I went to my lbs and said I wanted to try clips and pedals until I felt safe. They put speedplay light action pedals on my bike and the problem was immediately gone, so much so that I thought it was a joke.
No wonder I felt like an idiot; it really is that easy with the right pedals.
For the time being I cannot use Look, shimano, mavik pedals--that type safely. Certainly not in traffic. I'd be a danger to myself and to motorists, not fair for anyone.
The speedplays are giving me plenty of time to learn and be safe. I can learn to use the other pedals later when I have more confidence and strength and muscle memory.
Be safe first.

+1 on Speedplay! I've been using them for 3 years and have them on both of my road bikes. You don't need other pedals!

[Catrin]

In what way are the Speedplay pedals different? Can it be described easily? Some may remember my "clipless gymnastics" a few months back - though honestly I think it more due to my lack of bike skills than anything.

[colorisnt]

Clipless gymnastics? I am going to use that the next time I impale myself on my bike! haha.

I rode 27 miles tonight and crossed a huge highway in the pedals. Played it safe and DID NOT rush. My speed is so much more consistent. Here I was going up a hill at 17 miles an hour haha! I finally feel like I own the bike. Unclipping is becoming second nature.

[tctrek]

In what way are the Speedplay pedals different? Can it be described easily? Some may remember my "clipless gymnastics" a few months back - though honestly I think it more due to my lack of bike skills than anything.

I have Speedplay Light Action and they are just so easy to get in and out of. The pedal and the cleat marry up with almost no pressure or effort. Hard to explain!

[Catrin]

Clipless gymnastics? I am going to use that the next time I impale myself on my bike! haha.

I rode 27 miles tonight and crossed a huge highway in the pedals. Played it safe and DID NOT rush. My speed is so much more consistent. Here I was going up a hill at 17 miles an hour haha! I finally feel like I own the bike. Unclipping is becoming second nature.

There were many, many, many falls over a three day period and as it was right after the Olympics started this winter it seemed a perfect way to refer to it at the time. I just tried it much too early for me (I just learned how to ride a bike in December) - now I am waiting for everything else to become instinctive/part of muscle memory before I try again. I could certainly see the advantage of the pedals though - when I wasn't practicing my falling over skills I do not fall over anymore, but am gun-shy about trying this soon.

It is so great that the pedals are working for you, that just rocks!

I have Speedplay Light Action and they are just so easy to get in and out of. The pedal and the cleat marry up with almost no pressure or effort. Hard to explain!

This is very interesting to me - so they require no force to get in/out? This is something to think about, I have read in other places that Speedplays are considered by some to be easier than SPDs.

[Crankin]

Catrin, I think you should try some Speedplays. I started on spd's and when I switched to Speedplays, I was wishing that I had had them when I first went clipless. No force needed at all.
There are lots of types of Speedplay pedals. A lot of people here use the Frogs, which are mountain bike pedals (like spds), so they can walk in their shoes. I have the regular Speedplay X pedals, as well as the covers for the cleats, so I can walk around without killing myself!
I have spd pedals on my hybrid and mountain bike and my knees really feel it if I ride them more than 10 miles.

[Catrin]

Catrin, I think you should try some Speedplays. I started on spd's and when I switched to Speedplays, I was wishing that I had had them when I first went clipless. No force needed at all.
There are lots of types of Speedplay pedals. A lot of people here use the Frogs, which are mountain bike pedals (like spds), so they can walk in their shoes. I have the regular Speedplay X pedals, as well as the covers for the cleats, so I can walk around without killing myself!
I have spd pedals on my hybrid and mountain bike and my knees really feel it if I ride them more than 10 miles.

Thank you for this information, it does sound worthy of the experiment once my finances recover from the LHT conversion and I get a few more miles under my belt.

I DO see the advantage of being clipped in somehow, and since I refuse to use toe clips I do have to deal with the issue of my feet sometimes sliding around/off of my BMX pedals though it is generally only a problem in the first few hundred feet after starting. I have several rides coming up this month, and a club ride in hilly southern Indiana in mid-July, perhaps after then.

[colorisnt]

Wow. You learned to ride in December and THEN tried the pedals? You are brave! I have been riding since age 4 and have good balance and I was so terrified! I have done so many stupid things on a bike and not fallen that it isn't funny. It's been at least 10 years since I had fallen off, so I was not expecting it. Good for you for getting back on that bike! I probably would have been too terrified to do so!

Ah!

And pedals definitely help with the sliding on hills. My feet used to slip a bit on the ascents without the clips. I don't really have that issue with the LOOK pedals.

[Owlie]

I have a lovely fresh scar on my left knee from when I fell the first time I rode with both feet clipped in. It happens...and multiple times to some of us. I just got my SPDs two weeks ago. Yeah, I was terrified that first ride. BF had to talk me through it after I sent a freaking-out text message to him at 1 am. I ended up riding with one regular shoe and one bike shoe (and somehow did that for 20 miles...), then tried riding around my neighborhood with both feet attached to the bike.

[BikerDar]

I second or third the recommendation to pick one leg/side as your clip out side. This helps you remember to always LEAN in the same direction too.
One of my first falls was coming to a stop in front of a group of experienced cycling friends and saying 'look at me I'm clipless', then promptly leaning in the direction I had NOT clipped out of. ooops.

Besides picking the side, the other thing I tell my trainees when they are first starting out is, if you even think you might need to stop for any reason, or it starts to cross your mind to touch your brakes, clip out. If you're in traffic and approaching a light you don't know the timing of, if you're on a bike path and coming up on some unpredictable peds, if a rider in front of you is being squirrelly, etc etc, clip out. and yes yes yes to loose tension.

I'm a big fan of Speedplay pedals. You get a little side to side motion before you disconnect which is great for folks with knee issues. For some folks the lack of play in other pedal systems causes problems. The only downside is that the pedals are very small, they are just a small lollipop sort of thing, and you may be tentative about standing up on them initially when climbing, but once you get used to them and their lightness and ease of use, you may just be as hooked as I.

There was a great article in Bicycling Magazine about clipless pedals. I'm going to try to attach it here, not sure if it will work. It was just a few months ago. I found it really interesting and helpful AND persuasive.

[HipGnosis6]

Okay... so I just had a set of campus pedals put on my bike and was feeling pretty good about it. I was confident that I'd be able to use the platform side to keep my bike functional and usable without fear until I was more comfortable clipping in and out - but the actuality is different! I'm scared that I'll have the wrong side of the pedal up and clip in when I don't intend to.

I guess it's "find somewhere grassy, put on a long-sleeved t-shirt, and don't worry about looking like a complete idiot" for me. If any of the Seattle locals want to come help me out/offer moral support/have a good laugh - let me know!

[tctrek]

If you want to ride clipless, you have to have a "system". You have to always clip in/clip out exactly the same way. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes. Most of us fall at least once, but a skinned knee or bruised pride is all that happens. Pay attention to what you are doing and stay focused until you are confident.

For me, I start out clipping in my right foot. Make sure you are holding the brake down while you get the foot clipped in so that the bike doesn't roll away on you. Then I raise up my right foot to about 2 o'clock and push off on my right pedal, hoisting myself up into the saddle. Then I clip in my left foot. Try not to look down or lean to the left when clipping in the left foot... feel for the pedal and clip in. If you can't get it on the first try, you can usually turn the crank once or twice without actually being clipped in. I've crossed a four lane highway with only right foot clipped in, so you can do it if you are focused.

When I need to stop, I unclip my left foot first while braking. I sometimes let my left foot hang down a bit without hitting the ground if I am coasting up to a stop sign or light. When I've fully braked, I put down my left foot. Make sure you have control of the bike.. don't let go of the brake until you are firmly planted. Don't lean the bike to the right or you may take off like a one-legged girl on a skateboard... I know, 'cause I've done that!
So, now you are stopped, right foot still clipped in, left foot solidly planted. Time to go, raise up the right foot to 2 o'clock, push off, hoist up in the saddle, clip left foot.

If you always do it this way, you will be astonished how natural it becomes... a good habit. And if you have to stop fast or on a hill, you can pull that left foot out really fast, plant it, make sure you are applying enough brake to stop rolling and don't lean to the right!

Make it a mantra that you say to yourself over and over until you are unconsciously competent! Practice, but most of all stay focused...not enough brake or leaning the bike are the 2 main reasons you will fall.

[tiva]

When I first started with clipless pedals last month, I always recited a mantra in my head whenever I braked or downshifted: "Braking, do I need to unclip?" and "Downshifting, do I need to unclip??" By forcing myself to pay attention each time I braked or downshifted, I kept from spacing out and falling over. Soon it became second nature.